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California Dreamin’

Life on the west coast moves at its own pace. The people who call California their home live their lives according to their own rules and as such build their cars to meet nobody’s standards but their own. Ian Berky lives this lifestyle every day and represents it through his custom 1951 Chevrolet 2-door sedan.The old meets the new in this one of a kind ride. What started off as a simple vintage Chevy quickly took a life of its own when Ian took it from being some else’s butchered project car into the purple cruiser you see before you.

The body work started by replacing the original roof with that of a 49 Chevy coupe and chopping a little off the top for good measure. Custom fabbed hood scoops and corners to draw in fresh air to the 1969 350 engine.

Not stopping there, Ian honed his welding skills by creating a new front grille, custom floating bar, and flush mounted side skirts. Talk about attention to detail!

Accenting the smooth body lines are 1959 Cadillac tail lights, a custom rear end and pristine purple paint job to pull it all together and bring this one of a kind ride to a new era of awesome.

Having a pretty exterior is one thing, but Ian’s passion for being low needed some creative thinking. A TCI Mustang II front suspension and 4-link tail dragger kit from Gambino Kustoms replaced the very old and tired stock suspension hardware.Conitech bags were next and provide the necessary lifting and lowering capabilities to get her to drag frame 7 days a week. A KP Components valve setup controlled by custom tear drop knobs feeds air from the dual ViAir 400c compressors and color matched and pin striped 5 gallon tank into the rubbers.Driving on the sunset coast has its perks, especially when you can proudly claim that you built the street sweeper you’re sitting in.

Ian Berky is a self-made man and his classic Chevy is a living dream for anyone looking for inspiration in building their own ride. Stay tuned to Ian’s future project car, a 1961 Cadillac CDV, for an even bigger display of his vintage swagger.